You Win Every Time
by myshipperheart17
Summary: A bit of post- "Best Laid Plans" (4x16 or 4x17 depending how you look at it!) Captain Swan fluff. My version of the evening after the author has escaped - Emma goes to Killian to debrief. Cuteness ensues. My usual romantic nonsense. Disclaimer: As always, I don't own any of these amazing characters - they belong to the OUAT team :)


**I felt inspired to write some cute Captain Swan fluff! I haven't written anything since Christmas, but I'm suddenly filled with inspiration! Hope you enjoy - this is just a little scene I imagined after the end of the last episode "Best Laid Plans"! Spoilers for Season 4!**

* * *

They'd lost him.

All this time, searching, plotting, sending Regina undercover with those three villains, not to mention Rumple, and the moment they found him they managed to let him go.

Between a sleeping curse, losing the author and discovering that her parents had essentially doubted her before she'd even been born, it had been a hell of a day. Emma stood helplessly in the street, leaning her hands against her thighs and trying to catch her breath. There was no use in her trying to find him now - it was dark, and he had had too much of a head start. As her breath calmed, she stood up straight and ran her hand through her windswept hair.

What now?

Though she'd have liked to check on August again, going back to the loft just wasn't an option. She knew her parents would only want to talk, and right now she just couldn't. She was too hurt, too angry, and far too likely to say something she'd regret. Somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach, she knew they had, in their own misguided way, thought they were saving her, but that was dulled by the ache of the betrayal, and that would take time to fade.

It was while contemplating all of this that she realised her heart (and feet) had a headstart on her. She was walking on auto-pilot back towards the pier, where she'd left the only person she could bear to be around right now, just half an hour before. Despite everything, she felt a small smile tug at her lips as it dawned on her that she now had somewhere to go at times like this. In the past she was on her own, so a fight with someone usually meant an evening spent alone, hiding from the world. Now though, she had options.

She had Henry, and for all that they'd had their ups and downs, she had Regina. When they weren't keeping things from her, she had her parents and she had her baby brother. August was back in her life, even if it was only going to be for a short time. And she had him.

It said a lot that Snow had known to send him. Known that he was the only one she would actually listen to right now. He had this way of encouraging her to open up, without actually doing a thing. He never pressured her, or pushed her, yet over time she found herself exposing more and more of her inner thoughts and feelings to him, trusting that he'd never judge, and never tell. They were so wonderfully and bizarrely alike that it sometimes terrified her.

She was approaching the pier and she spotted him. He was sitting on deck, on a chair, his signature bottle of rum in his hand, and he had his eyes closed. He looked so utterly at home and content that for a second she felt a pang of guilt for the fact he had been separated from the Jolly Roger for so long because of her. It still made her heart skip a beat when she considered the fact that he had actually given up his home for her, before she had even fully begun to trust him. That's how well he knew her, and how instinctively he had known how he felt about her. Something she had never been very good at, before now.

Approaching the side of the ship, she suddenly felt a little nervous, and paused, worried she was invading his space while he was enjoying a moment alone on board, having been separated for so long.

"You just going to stand there all night, love, or are you going to join me for a drink?"

She couldn't help but grin - he hadn't even opened his eyes yet, and he knew she was there.

"How did you know I wasn't David? Or Grumpy?"

She laughed as he deliberately shuddered at the idea. Grumpy meant well, but he could be ever so dramatic when he wanted to be. He stood up and leaned against the side of the ship, grinning that "devilishly handsome" smile at her as she made her way around to join him on board.

The seductive smile softened as she walked towards him though and he moved to meet her halfway, enveloping her in his arms. And she thought she'd hidden her sadness so well, too.

"I just knew," he whispered against her hair, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back, "I always know, Swan."

For the first time since she ran out of the loft after the author, she felt like she fully exhaled. She relished the feel of his leather jacket under her hands (she really was partial to a man in a leather jacket…), and how her head felt like it fit just perfectly in the crook of his neck. The wind seemed to have picked up around them, but she felt safe, and calm. Whatever else was going on, they had these moments. And sometimes, that was enough to make everything okay.

She had no idea how long they had stood like that for, but eventually her legs started to tremble, and she pulled back, exhaustion hitting her and the desire to sit down overwhelming her. She tilted her head up to look at him. He really was a sight for sore eyes, staring intently at her with those amazing blue eyes, his hair ruffled by the breeze, and his stubble at that ridiculously perfect length. She made a mental note to ask him how he managed that at a later date

"How about that drink?" she asked instead.

He nodded, and took a step back, and instantly she felt a sense of loss at the distance. If she wasn't so caught up in the fact that she had never felt like this before, she would have been totally embarrassed by her own behaviour. Independent, feisty, "I don't need anyone" Emma Swan certainly had changed.

"... wait," she blurted out, and he turned back towards her, a look of concern breaking across his face. She always underestimated how much he worried about her.

"I forgot something," she whispered, reaching out for him and drawing him back towards her by the lapels of his jacket.

The moment he was close enough she leaned in and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and feeling that familiar feeling of total contentment when he pulled her tight against him, his arms round her waist.

When they eventually broke apart, her hand found its way onto his cheek like it so often did. She hadn't even realised it had started to rain, and she absent mindedly brushed a droplet of rain, which had fallen from his hair on to his cheek, away with her thumb

"Hi," she whispered.

He was looking at her that way he did occasionally, as if nothing else in the world existed. Like he was trying to drill a hole in her head, as she'd once told him.

"Hi yourself," he replied, reaching to tuck her hair behind her ear and leaning back in towards her. Just before he reached her lips, he turned and walked away, cheekily quirking his eyebrow and leaving her hanging.

"Seriously!?"

"I'm just doing as you asked, and getting you that drink," he said, lifting the bottle of rum he'd left on the table and heading for the door leading downstairs, "Let's get out of the rain, shall we?"

* * *

There was something weirdly homely about that little cabin on the Jolly Roger. Considering the fact her experience of being here was mostly when Henry was missing, she really ought to find that it triggered bad memories. Instead, watching him set about making them a drink, looking so at ease, she felt like she could happily move in here and never leave.

"You look happy," she heard herself say, as he walked back towards her.

He sat down on the bed-come-couch beside her and handed her glass, as she scooted closer to him, snuggling into his side. His arm wrapped around her waist and he clinked his glass against hers, both taking a sip of the warming liquid.

"Of course I am," he said, his tone light and breezy, like she hadn't heard it in a while, "I'm here with the two loves of my life, what more could a man want?"

They both froze, and his words hung in the air. She felt her pulse quicken, desperate not to make too much of what could easily be one of his jokes - though he had told her she was his happy ending.

This was ridiculous. She knew he loved her, and she… she hadn't been brave enough to admit it to herself yet, but she knew what that feeling in her chest every time she saw him was. She just didn't know if she had the strength for that conversation after such an emotional day already...

"So I have competition, huh?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking, and keeping things light.

She felt his body relax, and she could have sworn she felt him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well now, Swan, the Jolly Roger and I go way back. We have a long history. And she is a beauty, isn't she?"

Emma laughed, and he pressed a kiss to her temple. She drained her drink much quicker than she should, and leaned forward to place her glass on the table. She kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs up underneath her, snuggling close against him, drinking in the feel of him, and running her hand up his chest to rest over his heart. Ever since she had put it back in there after Rumple took it, she found herself anxious about it, reaching for his chest without thinking, just to make sure.

She knew he knew what she was doing, but he never said a word. He just let her get on with it.

"What happened at the loft, love?" he asked, his voice low, barely more than a whisper.

She felt her eyes drifting closed, the combination of exhaustion and rum and his arm around her lulling her towards sleep.

"Long story," she mumbled, "Opened the door. Author escaped. Lost him."

Killian shifted in his seat, sitting up straight, and dislodging her from her comfortable position.

"He what?"

She lay back against the wall behind them, closing her eyes.

"He escaped," she said, "He pushed me out of the way and made a break for it. I couldn't catch him."

She hated how defeated her tone sounded.

"So I just gave up for tonight and came here."

She opened one eye, just enough to see him watching her, his face flooded with concern again. Sighing, she forced herself to sit up and meet his eye, reaching out to take his hand in hers.

"Well, I'm glad you did, love," he replied, "As long as you're okay?"

She smiled and nodded, before stifling a yawn.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired. And frustrated about everything with my parents. And worried about what might happen if we don't catch the author before Rumple does."

He smiled gently at her and pulled her back into his arms. He always just got it.

"So really, you're not fine at all?"

She glanced up at him, and wondered how it could possibly have taken her so long to realise how lucky she was to have found him.

"No," she whispered, "I really am fine, now. Better than fine."

Before he could reply she leaned up and kissed him again, pouring all of the emotion of the day into the kiss, running her hand up to tug at his hair while the other roamed over his chest.

He pulled back what felt like hours later, breathlessly gazing at her, and she snuggled back against his chest, the need for sleep overpowering her.

As she began to drift off, she mumbled against his chest.

"You know, you gave up this ship for me. Does that mean I win?"

His arms tightened around her and he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"There was never any contest, Swan. You win every time."

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**Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are very very welcome! :) **


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